Tapping apparatus.



N0. 641,392. Patented lan. 23, |900.

' S. M. RHADS.

TAPPING APPARATUS. (Afplication med oct. 31, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ISAMUEL M. RHoADs, or DHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNoE or ONE-HALETo FRANK MCKERNAN, or SAME PLACE;

A'rAPPlNe APPARATUS".

SPECIFICATION forming para of Letters Patent No. 641,89a, dated January2e, 190e. Application led october a1, 1899. serlai No. 7351375. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. RHoADs, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tapping Apparatus, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification andaccompanying drawings.

This in vention has reference to a novel construction of tappingapparatus, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a portion of the head of abarrel provided with a tapping apparatus embodying my invention. Fig.2represents a vertical section thereof, taken on linex Fig. 3 representsa horizontal section taken on line fy y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents asimilar view with the parts shown in another position. Fig. 5 representsa vertical section of another embodiment of my invention. I l

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designatesa portion of the head of abarrel, and B my improved tapping apparatus. The latter comprises 'aplug or valve-seat C, secured within the head A, the same being providedwith the conical socket D to form the seat for the valve E. The latterfits therein, the joint between the two being preferably ground, and isrotatably secured by means of a stem F at its 'lower end extendingthrough an opening G in the bottom of the valve-seat D.

The valve E is provided with a port H, through which the pipe J isadapted to pass, and in the plug C is a port K, with which a port J isadapted to register when the valve is turned to one limit of itsmovement. The upper end of the port H is enlarged to form a'shoulder fora packing-ring L, that is adapted to be compressed upon the rod J by agland M in an obvious manner. The openings N in the upper end of thevalve E receive a suitable tool, by which it may be turned, the movementof which is limited by suitable stopsfor instance, a pin P, coactingwith the shoulders Q at the upper edge of the plug C, as shown in Fig.l, said shoulders being so located that when the pin is in contacttherewith the ports H and K register, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or areout of alinement, as shown inl Fig. 4.

For the purpose of admitting air or gas to the barrel to secure apressure for dispensing its contents or, as is sometimes usual inconnection with beer and the like, for charging the barrel with gasbefore it leaves the brewery I provide what I term a gas-valve R,rotatably mounted upon the valve E and operative independently thereof.This valve R is situated within a conical valve-seat S at one side ofthe valve E, being provided with a ground joint, and is secured by adownwardly-extending stem T, passing through and secured Within anopening U in the lower side of the valve E. A port V extends through thevalve R, bein g enlarged and screw-threaded at its upper end to receivethe gas or air 'pipe W, and when the valve R is turned this port V isthrown into or out of alinement with a port X, leading from thevalve-seat S. The said valve R is provided with an opening Y,

so that it may be turned by a suitable tool.

The plug C is provided with two ports Z, With which the port X of thevalve E registers when said valve E is turned to either limit of itsmovement.

The plug C may be provided with notches A', by means of which it can bescrewed into the head of the barrel, and pivoted to one side of the plugO is a plate B to cover the valve when theliquid and gas or air pipesare not inserted, said plate B being provided with a lug C' to enter oneof the notches A to hold said plate in place, the latter possessing sufficient resiliency to hold the lug in engagement therewith.

The operation is as follows: As shown in Fig. l, the shoulders Q aremarked with the Words Off and On, and when the pin P is adjacent to theo-shoulder the ports H and K of the valve E and plug C are out ofalinement, while the gas-valve R is situated over one of the ports Z ofthe plug C. By turning said gas-valve R to the point indicated OE on thetop of the valve E it is evident that the barrel is entirely sealed. Theport X in the bottom of the valve E registers with one of the ports Zwhen the valve is turned to either limit of its movement, and should itbe desired to charge the barrel with gas in the IOO brewery, forinstance, it will be necessary only to connect the pipe W, as shown inFig. 2, and then turn the valve R to bring its port V into communicationWith the port X, which is attained by bringing the indicating-point onthe top of the valve R opposite the word On on the top of the valve E.IVhen both valves are closed, the plate B is moved over the upper endthereof and is held in place by the lug C and the notch A.

In operating the tapping apparatus for dispensing, the tube J is firstinserted through the washer L, and then the valve E is turned to causethe ports I-I and K to register. 'Then the tube .I is inserted to itsfull extent and the gland M tightened to com press the Washer upon saidtube. The pipe W is then connected with the valve R, and when it isdesired to obtain a pressure within the barrel said valve R is turned tocause the ports V and X to register, as Will be clearly understood.

In Fig. 5 I have shown another embodiment of my invention, in which thegas-valve R is dispensed with, and in lieu thereof a tube D is employed,which screws into the upper end of the port I-I in the valve E after theremoval of the gland M. In the upper end of this tube D is a Washer Eand a gland F to make a close joint with the tube G', it being notedthat said tube G is smaller than the interior bore of the tube D/ topermit the passage of air or gas that enters this annular' space througha nozzle Il, provided with a valve J'. The operation of this device issomewhat similar to that heretofore described, it being noted that thetube G' is inserted through the Washer E' before the valve E is turned,While at the same time the valve J is closed. After the tube GH isinserted to its full extent and the Washer E compressed the valve J' canbe operated at any time that it is desired to secure the pressure Withinthe barrel.

One ofthe advantages secured by my invention is due to the fact that theair or gas valve can remain closed when the beer-tube is first insertedand until the requisite pressure in the gas or air tube is secured, soas to avoid the entrance of beer or the like into the airtube, whichoccurs when the air-tube is first opened to the interior of the barrelif the reqnisite pressure has not been attained. With my invention,however, it is not necessary to open the gas or air valve until thedesired pressure is secured.

ezinee Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tapping apparatus, a valve, through which the liquid-tube isadapted to pass, provided With an independently-operative gasvalve.

2. In a tapping apparatus, a valve-seat provided with aport, a valvehavinga port adapted to register therewith, a gas-valve carried by saidvalve, a port in said gas-valve adapted to register with a port in saidvalve, and a port in said Valve-seat adapted to register with thelast-mentioned port in said Valve.

3. In a tapping apparatus, a valve-seat provided With a port, a valvehaving a port adapted to register therewith, a gas-valve carried by saidvalve and provided with a port, a port in said valve adapted to registerwith said port in the gas-valve, and ports in said valve-seat adapted toregister with said lastmentioned port of the valve at either limitof themovement of the latter.

4. In a tapping apparatus, a valve-seat provided With a port, a valveprovided with a port adapted to register therewith, the outer end of theport in said valve being provided with a Washer and gland, and agas-valve carried by said valve and adapted to communicate with a portin said Valve-seat.

5. In a tapping apparatus, a valve-seat provided With shoulders, a portin said valveseat, a valve having a projection adapted to engage saidshoulders, a port in said valve that registers with said port in thevalve-seat when said projection is in engagement with one of saidshoulders, and a gas-valve carried by said valve and adapted tocommunicate with a port in said valve-seat when said port of the valveis in communication with said first-mentioned port of the valve-seat.

6. In a tapping apparatus, a valve-seat provided with shoulders, a portin said valveseat, a valve having a projection adapted to engage saidshoulders, a port in said valve that registers with said port in thevalve-seat when said projection is in engagement with one of saidshoulders, and a gas-valve carried by said valve and adapted tocommunicate with a port in said valve-seat, when said valve is at eitherlimit of its movement.

SAML. M. RI-IOADS. Witnesses OT'ro MENGER, W. S. HERBERT.

IOO

